Should Graphic Designers Learn CSS?

Sana Khan Jun 14, 2012

Graphic design is a field that is always changing and evolving. The constant changes require graphic designers to stay up-to-date on the latest graphic news, trends and developments. This prompts novice and expert designers to visit online blogs and forums quite frequently.

Knowledge is worth its weight in gold in this field. Graphic designers must become versatile in order to keep themselves afloat. However, this brings up an interesting question. Should graphic designers venture into the coders realm and familiarize themselves with programming such as JavaScript and CSS?

CSS, as you may already know, has become an integral component of web design. CSS has helped to make websites more visually appealing and has contributed to making them more interactive and user friendly.

Stepping Into the Realm of Programming

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So, should graphic designers take up CSS? For those designers that want to be versatile and work in web design, the answer is yes. We have recently seen a new trend emerge; designers have presented their graphic design portfolio to include web design. This is great news for companies looking for brand identity design and a new (redesign an existing) website to match. Having both designs assigned to one designer makes the entire project seamless and cohesive. This also helps to make the communication from client to designer much easier.

What Can You Learn In CSS?

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CSS is designed to make web design more efficient, fast and smooth. Designers have a plethora of tools and features that allows them to create special effects, 3D animations and amazing graphics without needing different platforms like Flash.

With CSS software like Dreamweaver, graphic designers don’t necessarily need to know how to code in order to make an amazing graphic. Dreamweaver allows you to code a web design by using its design tools. At the very least, designers should get familiar with these tools in order to help them with projects.

Learning CSS – Is It Worth It?

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There is always the question of whether the whole effort is worth it. Some experts believe that a graphic designer should stick to one field and master it. That can help establish a designer as the go-to person for specific projects, but it does not make them versatile. Adding anything extra to your list of knowledge is always a gain. Expertise in CSS makes you a good web designer, but as a graphic designer you can also suffice on basic CSS know-how.

Becoming a good graphic designer requires hard work. Becoming a great designer demands more time, devotion and dedication. You may have to work twice as hard, but the extra reward will be worth it.